Chapter inspired by How You Remind Me by Nickelback

Gambit had been back with the X - Men for about three months. Most of the others still refused to even look at him, much less hang out with him. Logan and Ororo were the only exceptions. The rest still hated him for the fact that he had helped in the Morlock massacre. They didn't care that he had been tricked into it.

Rogue was the worst. They had been dating before his . . . stay in Antarctica. Now she acted like he didn't exist. She blamed him for the deaths of all of them, and he could understand that. He blamed himself still.

He knew he had screwed up. He had realized that a long time ago. Gambit had to relive what he had done every single day. It came with having a photographic memory. He could still see the Morlocks being killed; could still see the terrified face of the child he had saved from the destruction.

He saw it, but it was made worse by the fact that he saw it every day on Rogue's face. Once, about a week after returning, he had surprised her into looking into his eyes. What he saw in her eyes that day kept him in his room for a week.

The anger, hatred, and disgust were clear in her eyes. According to them, he was worse than the lowliest creature on the planet, and then some. That hurt him worse than anything he had ever endured. The reason for that was simple: After everything she had done, Gambit still loved her.

Remy wasn't expecting an 'I'm sorry' from Rogue. It wasn't in her nature. But, the fact that she hadn't forgiven him even a little scared him. He realized for the first time that if she had had her way, he would still be in Antarctica, preferably nothing left but bones.

He spent a few days after that worried that she'd lose it and fly him back to Antarctica to finish the punishment. If it weren't for the fact that both Logan and Storm were giving her the cold shoulder already she probably would have. Remy sighed as he shifted on the couch, the soft glow of the television creating shadows in the dark room.

As he downed the last of the bottle in his hands he took a moment to look at his surroundings. He was in the TV room in the mansion. Thankfully it wasn't far from the kitchen, so Remy wouldn't have to go far to get another bottle of alcohol. He decided that he would take the empty bottles to the trash on his way in this time. He counted the bottled as he picked them up. Twenty. Okay, so his high tolerance for alcohol wasn't helping yet, but he was sure to start feeling a buzz soon.

"Gumbo? What are you doin' in here? And why do ya have so many beer bottles?" Logan asked, walking into the room. Remy only shrugged, so the older man had to continue. "Do ya know how late it is? You should be in bed, Kid. What's wrong?" Remy checked the clock; 3: 27 a.m. He had been up for awhile. "Is it Rogue?" Logan asked softly.

Remy's legs gave out under him and he fell, giving Logan all the answer he needed. "Why do ya still let her get to ya, Kid?"

"'Cause, Remy still love her, Logan. He know dat she don' love him back, mais it's hard to let go." Logan noticed that Remy's breathing had changed. He was gasping and slightly sniffling. Logan wrapped his arms around the younger man and pulled him close, whispering comforting words Remy cried on his shoulder.

He had known that it was hard on Remy, he just hadn't realized that it had gotten this bad this quickly. He rubbed his hand in circles on Remy's back, trying to soothe him.

"Maybe you should go back to New Orleans, Gumbo," Logan said softly, his heart breaking. He would miss the kid terribly, but he was having so many problems at the mansion.

"You tryin' to get rid of Remy?" Remy asked around a sob. Logan cursed at his own stupidity. He had definitely worded that wrong.

"Not at all. I just think that you'd be happier with yer family, instead of here."

Remy's crying slowly stopped, leaving him exhausted. Logan carried him back to his room before heading back to the TV room to clean Remy's mess. He decided that he and Storm would have a talk with Gambit the later that day.

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"Professor?" A small voice asked from the doorway. Xavier turned to see Gambit entering the room cautiously.

"What can I do for you, Remy?" The professor asked, already suspecting - and dreading - the answer, but needing to hear it confirmed.

"First of all, Remy'd like to t'ank you for all you've done. Second, I t'ink I should go home. I appreciate all you've done for me, mais dis is gettin' too hard. I'm gon' miss you an' Logan an' Stormy, mais I gotta go." The professor nodded his head.

"Very well, Remy. But I'd like to ask that you at least give the others a warning. Tell them tonight at dinner that you will leave before breakfast tomorrow, please?"

"Fine, dat'll work. T'anks for understanding, Professor."

As Remy left, the professor shook his head sadly. He had hoped that everyone would be able to work their problems out with time, but it seemed that that was impossible. The others simply would not give Remy the benefit of the doubt.

"I'm gon' be leaving early tomorrow. The professor wanted me to warn you. Dere's your warning." Gambit left the silent dining room angrily. He hadn't really wanted to warn them. It would just make it easier for them to make his last few hours even more miserable. He was wondering how that was possible when he bumped into Rogue.

"Watch where yer goin'. Ah ahmost fell." And that was it. No 'Swamp Rat', no teasing, no joking, she wasn't wasting any of her time with him.

"Wait, chère!"

"Ah've told you not to call me that!"

"Can you at least tell Remy why you're so mad at him?" Remy asked, hoping that her feelings for him could change in two seconds.

"Ain't that obvious? You're a murderer. You helped kill all those people. Ah ain't mad at you, though." Remy's face lit up with hope, but the hope was shot down with her next words. "Ah hate ya. Stay away from me."

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As he packed, Remy tried his hardest not to cry. She had to have known what she was doing to him by wording it like that. She had given him the smallest sliver of hope, before taking it away. She had to have known how much that would hurt him.

"Remy?" His head shot up when he heard Storm's voice behind him.

"Hey, Stormy." His voice broke when he said her name, alerting her and Logan - who had followed her in - that he was upset about something other than the problem that had been bothering him for the past three months.

"What's wrong, Cajun?" Logan asked, sensing that it had something to do with Rogue. His suspicions were confirmed when Remy relayed the conversation to his friends. "Don't listen to her, Kid. Not everyone thinks that way, and the ones who do are just stupid." Remy looked at him questioningly, but it was Storm who answered.

"Everyone on this team has had something to do with the death of another at some point in their life. They are just taking out their guilt on you."

"Merci. I better go now. De last bus leaves soon."

"I thought you were staying until tomorrow morning?"

"Dat's gon' be too hard. Tell de professor dat I'm sorry, s'il vous plait."

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Logan had agreed to tell the professor, but Storm had refused to let him go on his own. She had decided to fly him to his destination, but when they reached the bus stop, she kept going.

"Storm?" Remy waited in silence for a few moments before trying again. "Stormy?"

"Yes, Remy?"

"De bus stop is back dere. We passed it."

"I know. I am taking you all the way home."

"Dat saves on expenses, but why?"

"I want to make sure you get there safely and are welcomed before I leave you. Logan and I are both unwilling to see you suffer any longer."

"T'anks Stormy."

An hour later, the duo reached the entrance to the home of the Thieves Guild of New Orleans. Remy knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. Eventually Jean-Luc answered.

"Remy? Come in, mais, what's wrong?"

"He was unwelcome by most of the inhabitants of the mansion, and decided to return to where he was welcome," Storm answered. Jean-Luc nodded his understanding before turning to Remy.

"You know dat you're always welcome here. Welcome home, mon fils."

"Goodbye, Remy." Storm hugged the man she had come to know as a brother goodbye before flying back to the mansion. Jean-Luc hugged his son again and led the young man into the house and to his waiting family.

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A/N: So, how was it? The song was by Nickelback. I heard it and thought of this. Please review and let me know what you think.